Antifriction ball retainer and spacer

ABSTRACT

A ring-like ball retainer and separator for an annular series of relatively large antifriction balls which both retain and antifrictionally mount a spool on a hand carried and supported intermediate body member of a kite reel. The spool comprises an annular ring-like body member having side flanges which extend radially both outwardly and inwardly therefrom and the inwardly extending flanges providing therebetween the outer half of a ball retaining raceway for said annular series of spaced balls which make central line contact with the spool body. The opposing inner half of the retaining raceway for said annular series of balls comprises a similar pair of spaced flanges which extend radially outwardly from each side of the intermediate annular hand carried body of the kite reels with which said balls and said ball retaining and separating ring make alternate central line contacts circumferentially thereof.

United States Patent Wilson Aug. 29, 1972 ANTIFRICTION BALL RETAINER AND SPACER Inventor: Henry Allen Wilson, Park Ave,

New York, NY. 10016 Filed: Aug. 19, 1970 Appl. No.: 65,000

US. Cl ..242/96, 308/201 Int. Cl. ..B65 h /40 Field ofSearch ..242/96, 308/201,217,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Wilson ..242/96 Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Milton Gerstein Attorney-Everett G. Clements ABSTRACT A ring-like ball retainer and separator for an annular series of relatively large antifriction balls which both retain and antifrictionally mount a spool on a hand carried and supported intermediate body member of a kite reel. The spool comprises an annular ring-like body member having side flanges which extend radially both outwardly and inwardly therefrom and the inwardly extending flanges providing therebetween the outer half of a ball retaining raceway for said annular series of spaced balls which make central line contact with the spool body. The opposing inner half of the retaining raceway for said annular series of balls comprises a similar pair of spaced flanges which extend radially outwardly from each side of the intermediate annular hand carried body of the kite reels with which said balls and said ball retaining and separating ring make alternate central line contacts circumferentially thereof.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 29, 1972 3,687,393

- I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 i I? 1,, mvmvroas HENRY ALLEN WILSON nmmuavs Patented Aug. 29, 1972 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENTORS HENRY ALLEN WILSON nmnnms Patented Aug. 29, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Wwuim MI INVENTORS HENRY ALLEN WIL SON ATTORNEYS ANTIFRICTION BALL RETAINER AND SPACER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There being a need for a relatively inexpensive hand carried kite flying reel having an outer spool portion, it is the primary object of my invention to provide transversely flat annular surfaces between spaced radially aligned annularly spaced flanges and an annular series of relatively spaced and retained antifriction balls preferably six of such size as to make line contact with the sides of the opposed spaced flanges while making only central line contact with the annular raceways between said flanges and also making similar butintermediate contact of said ball spacer ring with said intermediate body member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A reel structure which provides a hand rotated spool and which is antifrictionally supported and stabilized on a hand carried annular body whereby an extremely economical device of this nature is produced with an annular series of balls which are uniformly spaced and retained in supporting contact with relatively rotative parts of said spool and hand carried body.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a reel having parts in section to show the relation of parts essential to the performance of the objects of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded elevational view of my preferred ball carrier and spacer for the reel illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded end view of the two part cage of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of one ball retaining part of the cage showing how a top, side and bottom of a ball project equally while being spaced from the next adjacent ball;

FIG. 6 is a transverse view taken through the bars of the cage of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a detail view of the integral snap fastener employed to secure the two-ring sections of the cage together;

tion to the similar flanges 13 and 14 of the nonrotatably annular body member or annulus l0 and provides therebetween the annular transversely rectangular space for the annular series of spaced antifrictional balls 22 to rotatably and stably support the spool 17 upon the body or annulus 10. By reference again to FIG. 3 it will be seen that each spaced antifrictional ball 22 substantially fills the annular space between the annular track 21 between the side flanges 19 and 20 and the opposing annular track 12 which extends between the side flanges 13 and 14 so that the spool is both rotatively carried and stabilized by the construction which makes this organization possible. By reference now to the sectional view of FIG. 1 taken with such other views as 2, 3, 5 and 6 particularly, it will be seen that the spacing and ball carrier is so formed at circumferentially spaced points as. to allow the uniformly spaced antifrictional balls 22 to make simultaneous contact with both rolling raceway tracts 12 and 21 as well as both opposing side flanges 13 and 19 and 14 and 20 respectively of the non-rotary and rotary raceways 12 and 21. A kite string would upon the annular floor 17 of the spool between the radial side flanges l5 and 16 by rotating the spool by means of handle 27 while keeping annulus 10 stationary by grasping handle 11' will thus be uniformly guided at all times and conditions of flight without kinking, snarling and breaking of the string which might otherwise be the case.

In FIG. 4 is shown a side or edge view of the two-part plastic spacer and ball carrying cage 25 and 25', a section of which is shown in detail in FIG. 5 where each antifriction ball projects an equal distance through all four sides 26, 26 of the carrying cage which is formed by two pairs of bars, one pair on member 25, another pair on member 25, as is clearly shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 shows in enlarged detail how the two-part spacer carrier is connected by integral bulbus male member of the snap fastener 24 passing through the slightly smaller openings in the adjacent part.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 I have shown a modified form of antifrictional ball carrier and spacer generally referred to as a ball cage which is particularly constructed of sheet FIG. 8 is a modified form of the antifriction ball spacer and retainer; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 10- 1.0 of FIG. 8.

THE INVENTION In the drawings is shown in FIG. 1 a side elevational view partly in section of my improved kite reel in which the annular body 10 is formed with a handle 11 connected at its ends with the inner annular surface of the non-rotative body member or annulus 10 which provides transverse spaces above and below the handle 11 for the hand of the carrier to freely pass in grasping the handle. Extending radially outwardly from each side of the inner annular surface of the body or annulus 10 are ring-like flanges l3 and 14 which are opposed by like annular flanges l9 and 20 of a rotary spool now to be described. As is best shown in the transverse section of the reel in FIG. 3 is the rotatably carried and stabilized spool 17 to each side of which is secured as by molding, side radial flanges 15 and 16. These flanges extend inwardly at 19 and 20 in opposed annularly spaced relaplastic material to permit four opposite points on each ball 22' to constantly contact with the adjacent sides of the rotary and stationary surfaces of the raceway as before described whereby the spool is positively centered on the hand carried annulus of the reel and held by the antifrictional balls 22' against possible deflection as by operation of the hand rotated spool handle shown only in FIG. 1. As shown here the hand carried annulus 27' of the reel is constructed in two parts. The annular side flanges 13, 14 and inner track 12' of the non-rotary or inner part of the raceway are joined at 31 leaving an annular groove 32 into which the guides 30' on the circular inner edge ride. To assist in assembly the ring-like ball spacer may be provided with a transverse connection as at 28'.

I claim:

1. A reel comprising a inner annular member having a handle spanning the interior enclosed space of said inner member, and an outer annular spool member positioned around said inner member, said outer spool member having a handle for rotating it about the inner member, said inner member having outwardly extending flanges forming a first annular channel having a botprotruding outwardly from the bars to bear against each of the side walls and the bottoms of said first and third annular channels.

2. A reel as claimed in claim 1 in which said carrier comprises a pair of members fastened together in facing relation, each of said carrier members including a pair of said bar members for each cage means.

3. A reel as claimed in claim 2 in which said carrier members are fastened together by snap fasteners. 

1. A reel comprising a inner annular member having a handle spanning the interior enclosed space of said inner member, and an outer annular spool member positioned around said inner member, said outer spool member having a handle for rotating it about the inner member, said inner member having outwardly extending flanges forming a first annular channel having a bottom and sides, said outer member having outwardly, extending flanges forming a second annular channeL having a bottom and side for receiving a string or the line, and inwardly extending flanges forming a third annular channel with a bottom and sides, said first and third channels cooperating to form a raceway, a plurality of anti-friction balls in said raceway, a carrier having spaced cage means for holding said balls in circumferentially spaced position, each cage means comprising longitudinally extending bar members positioned in the corners of the raceway, each anti-friction ball protruding outwardly from the bars to bear against each of the side walls and the bottoms of said first and third annular channels.
 2. A reel as claimed in claim 1 in which said carrier comprises a pair of members fastened together in facing relation, each of said carrier members including a pair of said bar members for each cage means.
 3. A reel as claimed in claim 2 in which said carrier members are fastened together by snap fasteners. 